Ever heard of the saying, “humans are creatures of habit”? It’s a famous saying by American psychologist G. Stanley Hall.
Habits gained while young stick with you throughout your life. So for that purpose, we as parents naturally want to inculcate some of these to your child while they’re at an impressionable age.
Morals, personality, smarts. Raising your child to become the “super soldier” that stands apart from their peers, it all starts with habits. But with changing times, you’ve also got to shape your child up differently to adapt.
These surefire ways we’ll share today will develop seemingly everyday tasks into powerful motivators for your child!
Getting YOU Started
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To begin, we start with the Do’s and Don’ts as parents. Now you may ask, why are we the ones preparing when our children are the ones trying to pick up these habits?
To that we say, an apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Our child learns through imitation much more than you think! And after their closest friends, the person your child gets influenced by the most is actually you, the parents!
So to avoid having them pick up something strange from us, we as parents also need to be conscious of our own conduct! We’re not telling you to walk on eggshells around your child, so just keep the essentials in mind!
Be Mindful of Aggressive Language
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It goes without saying. Regularly throwing out expletives, throwing temper and uninvited outbursts can scare and leave your child the impression that saying, for instance the “F word” is normal and they should use it to express themselves. So be really careful! Remember that your child isn’t just born with these anger issues!
Correcting Bad Habits
Just as important as encouraging good habits, you should also keep a look out for early signs of the bad ones. If you feel or spot anything different about your child’s behaviour one day, they’re likely to have been influenced by something close to them.
Was it a sitcom on the TV that you’ve left on in the background? Or did they pick up controversial ideas from their favourite YouTuber?
As a parent, you should promptly educate them and teach them gently on their misconceptions and why they should or should not do something.
In this way, your child has an opportunity to learn, reflect and turn a bad habit into a good one!
7 Good Modern Habits to Instil in Your Child!
Now onto the main point. What kind of good modern habits can you teach your child?
1. Digital Literacy
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We’ve heard all sorts of horror stories about the dangers of excessive screentime. Social media sites like TikTok and YouTube have drawn controversy over the years, and it’s not unfounded that parents are concerned about it.
But it remains a fact that digital mediums remain to be part and parcel of almost every industry in the world. From engineering to banking; our daily lives have become integrated to the digital world in almost every way imaginable.
Telling our kids to not accept that part of society is simply delaying the inevitable. What we can do, however, is to let them use these devices in a controlled environment.
Have your family controls set up, arrange for times when electronic devices are strictly off limits like dinnertime. Make sure your child understands that using their phones is a privilege, not a necessity. And last but not least, make sure your child understands the consequences of breaking the house rules about digital consumption.
2. More Physical Activity
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Healthy body, healthy mind. Work up a sweat through a morning jog, and your body regulates itself to keep you fresh and energetic for the day. The same can be said for your child’s development.
We’re not telling them to participate in marathons, dear heavens no! Simply start small. Every habit begins with small steps. Do enough, and it’ll rack up like a snowball. Your child will get the hang of the idea to work out, and may even take interest in it!
Start them off with basic callisthenics. Have them stretch their joints, train their endurance through walks around the neighbourhood, or even teach them how to ride a bicycle!
You know what’s the best part about having your kids exercise? It gets them all sleepy on their own during nighttime. Exercise preps your children for a healthy sleeping routine!
3. Sharing and Caring
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Empathy has become an increasingly lost virtue amongst our teens, and fingers are pointed towards social media as a cause. With an increasing dependence on their online personas, kids are found to display higher levels of narcissism. A higher level of self-importance can raise their self-esteem, but too much of it can also cause them to lose sight of their moral compass.
There’s more to it. From the rise of celebrity culture, to an overemphasis on testing in the rat race for academic excellence in schools. Or maybe, it’s also the hyper-competitive parenting that some households still practise today.
What we can do to make EMPATHY a habit, is to start with sharing the little things that they have. Maybe it’s a little bit of their pudding to their playmate, or the toys during playtime.
When they’re of a more sensible age, introduce the act of charity. The idea of becoming a selfless samaritan and what it means to the needy, can provide spiritual fulfilment at an early age, further reinforcing some of these positive values..
4. Keeping a Schedule
Keeping a schedule, or in short, a timetable is what your child can practise using as a habit.
Well, what kind of good habits does a timetable provide?
Time Management! The world today is fast-paced, and we meant really FAST. Punctuality is almost expected of everyone and everything, as people complain about their late public transport daily. At work, you’re expected to multi-task and allocate your time efficiently on your own. All of these can be really tough without proper time management.
As your child adopts the practice of using a timetable to plan out their activities, it allows them to balance their academic, extracurricular and personal activities more efficiently!
5. Save Money
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Financial Literacy is another modern value that our children need to have. And this is gained through the habit of saving. Our society promotes a consumer culture, and without proper sensibilities of their own money, they can be easily influenced and waste money buying things that they don’t need!
So to adopt a good habit of saving, you should introduce basic financial concepts, such as budgeting and understanding the value of money.
If we want to make them get into the habit of saving, they’ll need to enjoy the act of saving! Teach them more about money through real-life examples. Maybe once in a while, you could take them out for grocery shopping and allow them to buy their favourite snacks using the pocket money that they’ve saved!
Continuing good habits always start with a good impression.
6. Help Out With Chores
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Next, have your child help out with the chores! Hanging the clothes, taking them out to dry, vacuuming and mopping the floor et cetera.
These chores go beyond the act of being “helpful around the household”, but it also develops a stronger sense of responsibility in them. All too often, we hear parents talking about their children growing up becoming lazy and irresponsible, and that they usually pick up after them.
To keep your child sensible with what is expected of them, it is best to get them used to chores early, so that they are less averse to the idea over time. In time, helping out with chores will become routine and something that “should be done”. Showing appreciation for their help by giving them praise can also become positive reinforcement towards making the act of chore-handling a habit!
7. Reading
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Last but not least, children today should pick up the good habit of reading.
Well, that goes without saying. The benefits of reading will help out with your child’s linguistic skills greatly. But remember, children have various dispositions growing up. It can be hard to introduce the idea of reading to the less studious ones, even if it’s good for them.
To develop the habit of reading, you have to lay the groundwork to encourage reading.
Make reading fun, give them books they can enjoy, play word games, or even accompany them in reading!
Be actively involved in your child’s journey with books! Your child can feel lost in where to start, and where to continue. It is your responsibility to guide them through every step of the way, so that they will enjoy reading on their own!
Our recommendation? Bring them to the library regularly! The library will double as a different type of ‘playground’ for them to explore, as they sit through all sorts of books and immerse themselves for the day!
Oh and, do take breaks! Developing the healthy habit of breaks between reading will aid them during their student years as well!
Good Habits for a Better Future
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In today’s rapidly evolving world, cultivating essential modern habits is crucial for children to thrive and stand out. And you as parents are the ones who can create these habits from young!
Give them the foundation, the tools, and the confidence, so that they can ingrain these good habits for a very long time. Good luck, parents! Keep at it, so that your children can thank you for their good habits when they grow older!
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